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Goin’ Off Trak: Celebrating Women’s History Month

Writer's picture: Life is Literally a BusinessLife is Literally a Business


Congress established National Women’s History Month in 1980 to recognize and honor the achievements of women. Observance initially began as a weeklong celebration. Now we commemorate the entire month of March, incorporating special events such as International Women’s Day. 


While I’m all for recognizing women who have made significant historical contributions, I also believe we should honor those who currently make a difference in our lives. So, I would like to celebrate my fellow sisters by recognizing my primary care physician, Dr. Janice Rodriguez Perez, ‘aka’ Dr J, for the excellent service she and her staff provide. Below are comments from a recent discussion with her and my writing partner-in-crime, Pamela Daniels.


BRENDA - I'd like to start it by saying, I love my doctor. She's not like many of the doctors you visit today. She spends time with her patients and listens carefully to what they have to say. She also allows them to get to know her, which is what prompted me to set up today's interview. So, Dr J, tell us a little bit about your field of study and where you started practicing.


DOCTOR J - I am from Puerto Rico. I went to medical school in Mexico, and I graduated and moved back to Puerto Rico. I started working for a surgery group. And that's where my passion for wound care started. And I was able to learn a lot from, actually, the nurses at the hospital. And as my passion grew, I decided to pursue it and get certified. And I became medical director for two wound care clinics and hyperbaric centers. And after that, I decided to start my own practice. 


I really enjoyed practicing wound care because it felt very satisfying to see the results of the care that I was giving my patients. I moved to Florida because of a devastating hurricane we had in Puerto Rico. And unfortunately, my practice had only been established for about a year and a half when I had to move out of the island.  


BRENDA - What changed when you moved your practice in the US?


DOCTOR J - Primary care was the area of medicine I had least investigated before or didn't think that I would end up practicing. And I just absolutely love it. So right now, I'm a primary care physician, so we manage all chronic conditions on our patients.


I focus on a senior population in a managed care model, so we are basically available to our patients anytime they need us. I practice kind of like a holistic practice where we incorporate alternative medicine, we incorporate mental health, and everything that has to do with the well-being of the patient.


PAMELA - Are there noticeable differences in terms of having a practice in Puerto Rico versus America or the mainland?


DOCTOR J - I should say definitely. There are big challenges in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, even though we are part of the United States, we do feel that there are certain differences in the funds that are available for medicine over there. On top of that, we have insurance companies that are trying to take over and kind of control the way that we practice medicine, and that was particularly frustrating over there. I think that the biggest change that I've seen from moving over here is that there is more organization, there are more resources. You are able to actually treat your patients and have control of the treatment.


BRENDA - You mentioned to me something about a difference between the Medicare reimbursement in Puerto Rico versus the United States, which I found very interesting. Could you repeat that for us, please?


DOCTOR J - I'm not current, but up to a few years ago, there was a 20% difference less over there than the state that is less paid over here. That causes a huge difference in the resources that are available to treat our population over there.


BRENDA - I think I remembered you talking to me about sometimes the patients paid you in different ways, and there were different kinds of things that you did with the patients versus what you would normally do here.


DOCTOR J - Yeah, well, I could have fruits, vegetables. I was offered animals sometimes as exchange for payment to treat my patients…. And sometimes patients were just so eager and sometimes desperate to get medical services that they would just offer whatever they had to be able to get treated. And fortunately, when I had my own practice, I was able to do whatever I wanted. So, if I wanted to treat a patient and not charge them anything and just make sure that they were doing better, even if they didn't have the financial resources to get insurance, I would do so because that was my calling.


BRENDA - So, do you plan to continue practicing here, or are you thinking about returning to Puerto Rico? And what are your thoughts?


DOCTOR J - This is my place now. I'm not planning on moving anywhere. We're very happy here. We're just a short flight to Puerto Rico, so whenever we have a chance, we can just jump on a plane and go back and visit family. But I do have lots of friends and family here. My son, I have a ten year old. He goes to school here. He already has his friends, and he moved here when he was four. So, it was kind of like a tricky age to change environments. And he has gotten so used to being here, and this is his home. So we're not planning on moving anywhere, and I'm not leaving my patients.


BRENDA - Oh, good. I'm glad to hear that.


PAMELA - So, what do you say to someone who wants to get into this field knowing that it's growing, it's expanding, it's shifting? What are some tips that you have?


DOCTOR J - Well, I have to say that first of all, you need to make sure that you are passionate about medicine, and you are passionate about treating patients and you're empathetic about treating your patients. But like you said, it is shifting. It is a business, and a lot of doctors have no knowledge and no understanding of the administrative part of this and the financial part of this. So, I would say to anyone that is thinking about practicing medicine or getting into medicine to learn and to demand that it's actually added to a curriculum in medical school, because we have no idea what to do when it comes to financials and administering a practice when we graduate from medical school.


BRENDA - Thank you Dr. Janice for taking the time from your busy schedule to talk to us. If there's anyone out there in the Tampa area who's looking for a doctor that truly cares about her patients, you can reach Dr. Rodriguez Perez at 813-972-7979 or www.GetVIPcare.com.


DOCTOR J - And we are taking patients right now, so be sure to give us a call.





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